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CorNeat Vision Unveils a Revolutionary Artificial Cornea

A nanotechnology-based solution to bring new hope to millions of blind
and visually-impaired

LISBON, Portugal–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CorNeat Vision, an Israeli ophthalmic medical devices startup, announced
today it has completed the design and development stage of its
revolutionary cornea implant (CorNeat KPro / Keratoprosthesis), an
associated implantation tool and dedicated manufacturing process.
Following solution validation in NZW rabbits, the company is currently
initiating formal biocompatibility and safety tests toward first
implantation in Humans by mid-2018. The solution will be exposed for the
first time to selected members of the Ophthalmic community at the XXXV
European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Congress (ESCRS) in
Lisbon, Portugal October 7th-11th, 2017.

The CorNeat KPro implant is a patent-pending synthetic cornea that
utilizes advanced cell technology to integrate artificial optics within
resident ocular tissue. The CorNeat KPro is produced using nanoscale
chemical engineering that stimulates cellular growth. Unlike previous
devices, which attempted to integrate optics into the native cornea, the
CorNeat KPro leverages a virtual space under the conjunctiva that is
rich with fibroblast cells that heals quickly and provides robust
long-term integration. Combined with a novel and simple 30-minute
surgical procedure, the CorNeat KPro provides an esthetic, efficient,
scalable remedy for millions of people with cornea-related visual
impairments and is far superior to any available biological and
synthetic alternatives.

A short animated movie that demonstrates the implantation and
integration of the CorNeat KPro device to the human eye is available in
the following link: www.corneat.com/product-animation.

“Corneal pathology is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide
with 20-30 million patients in need of a remedy and around 2 million new
cases/year, said CorNeat Vision CEO and VP R&D, Mr. Almog Aley-Raz.
“Though a profound cause of distress and disability, existing solutions,
such as corneal transplantation, are carried out only about 200,000
times/year worldwide. Together, corneal transplantation, and to a much
lesser extent artificial implants (KPros), address only 5%-10% of cases,
“There exists an urgent need for an efficient, long-lasting and
affordable solution to corneal pathology, injury and blindness, which
would alleviate the suffering and disability of millions of people. We
are very excited to reach this important milestone in the development of
our solution and are confident that the CorNeat KPro will enable
millions to regain their sight”, he added.

“The groundbreaking results obtained in our proof of concept which is
backed by conclusive histopathological evidence, are extremely
encouraging. We are entering the next phase with great confidence that
CorNeat KPro will address corneal blindness just like IOLs (Intra Ocular
Lens) addressed cataract”, commented Dr. Gilad Litvin, CorNeat Vision’s
Chief Medical Officer and founder and the CorNeat KPro inventor. “Our
novel IP, now cleared by the European Patent Office, ensures long-term
retention, robust integration into the eye and an operation that is
significantly shorter and simpler than Keratoplasty (Corneal
transplantation).

“The innovative approach behind CorNeat KPro coupled by the team’s
execution ability present a unique opportunity to finally address the
global corneal blindness challenge”, added Prof. Ehud Assia., head of
the ophthalmic department at the Meir Hospital in Israel, a serial
ophthalmic innovator, and a member of CorNeat Vision scientific advisory
board. “I welcome our new advisory board members, Prof. David Rootman, a
true pioneer in ophthalmic surgery and one of the top corneal specialist
surgeons from the University of Toronto, Canada, and Prof. Eric
Gabison., who’s a leading cornea surgeon at the Rothschild Ophthalmic
Foundation research center at Bichat hospital – Paris, France. We are
all looking forward to initiating the clinical trial later in 2018.”

About CorNeat Vision

CorNeat
Vision is an ophthalmic medical device company with an overarching
mission to promote human health, sustainability and equality worldwide.
The objective of CorNeat Vision is to produce, test and market an
innovative, safe and long-lasting scalable medical solution for corneal
blindness, pathology and injury, a bio-artificial organ: The CorNeat
KPro. For more information on CorNeat Vision and the CorNeat KPro
device, visit us at www.corneat.com.